At Digital Delights, we deeply value the trust our authors and creators place in us. This Author Privacy Policy operates in conjunction with our standard customer Privacy Policy but specifically addresses how we handle the sensitive financial, identity, and intellectual property data required to run your vendor account.
1. Information We Collect from Authors
To facilitate a secure marketplace and ensure you are paid accurately for your sales, we collect specific information during your vendor registration and ongoing activity:
- Identity Data: Your real name, business name (if applicable), physical address, and contact email.
- Financial & Payout Data: Information required to issue your earnings, such as your PayPal email address or bank routing details. (Note: We do not store your personal credit card information used for making purchases; that is handled by our payment processors).
- Tax Information: Depending on your jurisdiction and earnings threshold, we may be legally required to collect tax identification data (e.g., W-9 or W-8BEN details).
- Public Profile Data: Information you voluntarily provide for your public author storefront, including your display name, bio, profile picture, and social media links.
- Intellectual Property: The digital files, cover images, and product descriptions you upload to our servers for sale.
We clearly separate your public storefront from your private backend data. Your display name, author bio, and product listings are visible to all visitors. Your real name, physical address, tax details, and payout routing information are strictly confidential and will never be published or sold.
2. How We Use Author Information
The data collected from your vendor account is used strictly for operational and compliance purposes, including:
- Calculating your monthly revenue share and processing payouts to your designated account.
- Verifying your identity to prevent fraud, copyright infringement, and money laundering.
- Generating tax documents and complying with local and international financial regulations.
- Communicating with you regarding platform updates, sales milestones, or issues with your uploaded files.
- Providing customer support on your behalf (e.g., matching a customer’s order to your specific product file).
3. Third-Party Data Sharing
Digital Delights does not sell Author data. We only share your private information with trusted third-party service providers when absolutely necessary to operate the marketplace. This includes:
- Payment Processors: Services like PayPal or Stripe Connect to route your commission payouts.
- Tax & Accounting Software: Secure platforms used to generate end-of-year tax forms and maintain financial compliance.
- Legal Authorities: If compelled by law, court order, or to defend against legal claims (such as a DMCA infringement lawsuit), we may disclose necessary vendor identity information.
4. Security of Intellectual Property
We utilize enterprise-grade cloud hosting and encrypted delivery networks to store your uploaded digital assets. Your source files are kept in secure, non-public directories and are only delivered to verified customers via temporary, encrypted download links after a successful transaction.
5. Account Deletion and Data Retention
If you choose to close your Author account, we will remove your public storefront and stop selling your products. However, we are legally required to retain your financial transaction history and tax data for a minimum period (typically up to 7 years) to comply with tax laws and accounting regulations. Customers who previously purchased your files will also retain access to their purchased copies.
If you have concerns about your vendor data or wish to update your payout details, please contact our Author Support team at [email protected].